The Hills
by ThereputicChainOfEvents
Summary: Frodo doesn't get a chance to destroy the ring. Sauron rises back to power. Defeating him falls to the rest of the fellowship, with Rebekah leading the others in an attempt to save Middle Earth.
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

Chapter 1

I shot up in bed, panting.

Pulling the sheets to cover my breast, I pushed my long hair our of my face.

My bedmate rolled over, smacking his lips in his sleep as he remained dead to the world.

Sighing, I ran my fingers along my face as the heat of fire worked its way out of my body.

"They've found it." I felt the truth of those words crawl up my spine with a feeling of dread.

The next morning, I rose before the sun had even considered which shades to don that morn.

Packing up the few objects I had with me, I saddles my horse.

Fully dressed and all of my things clear of the temporary residence I'd held for a fortnight, I rode through the city gates, towards the still-high moon.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I practically ran through the elvish halls. The meeting had only a few minutes before it would commence.

The hobbit had arrived, much worse for wear but a few days time before. Now the guardians of Middle Earth would decide the ring's fate.

To be late to such a council was beyond irresponsible on my part.

Red smoke trailed about my body as my riding gear dissolved to be replaced by a formal black gown with a black cloak forming to rest on my shoulders, blending in with my near black hair.

Sighing, I rounded the final corner, allowing me to seats where so many powerful members of the races of Middle Earth seated around a stone pedestal.

Leading the conference, Lord Elrond nodded in my direction as I stepped inside of the circle. Gandalf followed suit and acknowledged my presence, as did one or two others.

I remained standing, moving closely to the Elf-Lord's perch.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," Elrond began, "you've been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom." He laud eyes on a dark haired hobbit seated to the side of the Wizard. "Bring forth the ring, Frodo."

The hobbit stood, nervously approaching the stone pedestal where he reached out to set a small gold band in the center. Turning, he reseated himself as those present began to hiss and mutter amongst themselves.

I glanced at the ring, feeling hatred and disgust rise in me over the sight. 'Poor hobbit. He's got no idea what he's been in possession of.' I thought to myself.

"So it is true." A mortal man mumbled, seemingly to himself rather than the council.

While everyone was assessing the object in front of them, it seemed like only I could hear its effect of slurring and seducing black speak coming off of the metal.

"In a dream," Continued the mortal, this time to all those present. "I saw the eastern sky grow dark, but in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, 'Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Bane is found."

Elrond shot a glance towards Gandalf, one the Grey wizard returned.

Gandalf also shot a look in my direction, one of hazardous warning before he returned his attention to the man.

The man was quickly approaching the ring, which only I seemed to be able to hear, whispering deep desires and promises to this man.

"Isildur's Bane." He mumbled again, reaching for the jewelry.

"BOROMIR!" Elrond shouted, rising.

Gandalf began to speak in tongues, the sky darkening.

I reached for the blade on my waist, stepping towards the ring in offense.

Gandalf continues to speak in tongues, the ground beginning to shake while the sky got much to dark to be natural.

Some of the Dwarves present gripped their chairs, unsure how to proceed. One of the elves seated, a blonde who seemed to be the youngest, took a deep breath as he seemed to have developed motion sickness.

I could feel Elrond's internal groaning as the Wizard continued.

The man seated himself, allowing Gandalf to trail off and the sunlight to once again peak through the trees.

I took my hands off of my knife as the Elf lord seemed to sigh in relief.

The man seemed almost frightened by the magic, glancing around to ensure it was over.

"Never before had any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris." Elrond chastised the wizard.

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond." The wizard responded. "For the Black Speech of Mordor may it be heard yet in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether evil." He finished.

"It is a gift." Boromir continues. "A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him."

"Another mortal man seemed to have had enough of his kinsman's rambling. "You cannot wield it." He interrupted. "None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It had no other master." He explained.

"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir spat at him, attempting insult.

A blonde elf shot out of his own chair. "This is no mere Ranger." He defended, getting the attention of the council. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

Boromir turned back to his fellow mortal. "Aragorn." He said incredulously. "This is Isildur's Heir?"

Aragorn simply raised his head in acceptance.

"And heir to the throne of Gondor." The blonde elf added.

Aragorn responded to the elf in the blonde's native tongue. I understood the statement to be: "Sit down, Legolas."

Before the elf could act, Boromir turned to face him once again. "Gondor has no kind. Gondor needs no kind." He aimed the last part at Isildur's Heir. His glare unmistakably disrespectful.

Legolas exchanged a moments glance in my direction before being seated.

The Wizard broke the silence that followed. "Aragorn is right. We cannot use it.

Elrond stood. "You have only one choice. The ring must be destroyed."

Boromir reacted to the statement as through his heart had lost all of the false hope this find had given him.

The ring seemed to growl at the death sentence.

A dwarf looked at the gold assessingly. "What are we waiting for?"

Half of the council made offensive moves as the dwarf stood, raising his axe and swung with all of his might at the ring.

I noticed the hobbit, Frodo flinch in pain as the dwarf weapon made contact, only for the axe to shatter like glass.

Chuckling internally, I watched the pieces of iron rain down on the stone podium as the dwarf fell backwards.

More black speech rolled off of the gold, louder than before. Only myself and the hobbit seemed to hear this.

"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin," Elrond snapped, sounding like a tired parent. "By and craft that we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." He looked around at those before him. "One of you must do this."

I rocked from one foot to the other, taking my eyes off of the ring as I looked from face to face of those being asked to take on this task.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor." Boromir informed. "Its Black Gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The Great Eye is ever-watchful. It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire, and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with 10,000 men could you do this. It is folly."

I rolled my eyes.

Legolas vaulted out of his seat. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed."

The dwarf with the broken axe, Gimli, shouted at the elf. "And I suppose you think you are the one to do it!"

The elf glared his way while the mortal from Gondor once more stood.

"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?"

"We all die..." I mumbled to myself.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of and Elf!" Gimli shouted, standing as tall as a dwarf might.

Two more elves flanked Legolas, raising their voices as they defended their own.

Dwarves stood to argue alongside Gimli as the entire council errupted into madness, race arguing race.

"Never trust an ELF!" One of the Dwarves shouted.

"Do you understand? While you bicker amongst yourselves, Sauron's power grows!" Gandalf attempted to reason.

I groaned at my rapidly forming headache. The undertone of Black Speech seemed to be flowing into nearly every being before me. I moved to stand in the center of the group. "ENOUGH!"

Slowly the raised voices died down, giving way for me, the only female amongst them, to speak.

"This is ridiculous." I looked between all of their faces.

Boromir looked at me with the same sneer he's given the others here. "What would a woman know of such dire things as this?"

I could feel Legolas standing closely behind me, Aragorn remained standing near his kinsman.

I turned from Boromir, to all of the others. "Not a one of you actually wants to take this ring to its ruin. Yet not a one of you will cede control of the fate of Middle Earth to any race but your own."

"Yes, and I suppose you, a woman," Boromir cut in, "Will take this ring all the way to Mount Doom? You'd get lost before you got out of the forest."

"Call me 'woman' one more time and I'll castrate you like the pig you're proving to be." I whispered to the taller man, only himself and a few others catching my words. "You make another statement to this council and I'll pull your tongue out so you can see how fowl your words really are."

Elvish fingers wrapped around my arm, firmly holding me in place.

Boromir noticed this also, sneering.

"My Lady..." Gandalf began.

I noticed the hobbit stand behind him.

"I will take it." He announced. "I will take it." He repeated, getting everyone's attention.

Gandalf's face was overcome with sorrow for the volunteer, yet admiration.

"I will take the Ring to Mordor." Frodo said.

Everyone present looked at him curiously, some with hope, others simply confused.

I was among the ones confused.

"Though," He continued, "I do not know the way."

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins." Gandalf offered. "As long as it is yours to bear."

Aragorn stood. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." He knelt before the half-ling. "You have my sword." He promised.

Gandalf exchanged a look with Elrond.

"And you have my bow." Legolas offered.

Gimli raised what was left of his weapon. "And my ax."

"You carry the fates of us all, little one." Boromir looked up at Elrond. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, the Gondor will see it done.

A blonde, slightly rounder hobbit sprang from the bushed. "Hey! Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me."

"No indeed," Elrond looked at the hobbit. "It is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not." The elf ended on an amused not.

From a doorway across the yard, two more, ginger hobbits jumped up. "Wait, we're coming too!" Shouted one. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us."

"Anyway," The other added. "You need people of intelligence on this sort of ... mission. Quest. Thing."

"Well that rules you out, Pip." The first said.

"Nine companions." Elrond observed.

"Ten." I added from besides him. Moving to join the group, I looked back to the elf-lord. "Until my end will I see this through."

"So be it." He continues. "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great!" The one called Pip said. "Where are we going?"

"My lady?" I heard behind me.

Turning around, I found myself face to face with a broad redheaded dwarf. "Gloin." I greeted.

"It's lovely to see you again, my lady."

"My lady?" I asked. "You know me better than titles and courtesy."

He nodded. "Well, I'm asking a favor, I'd rather be courteous."

"A dwarf, asking for a favor of me?" I sat down in a nearby chair.

"Yes, well, this is rather important to me."

I nodded. "Your son?"

He chuckled. "Good guess. It's not that I worry Gimli can't hold his own. But watching the little ones die all those years ago ... it took alot from the clans. As did the death of Thorin. I'm just saying that I'd rather you keep an eye on him. The wife and I couldn't bear it..."

I nodded, going over what he had said. "Of course. I am so sorry that I couldn't save them."

He shook his head. "There was nothing you could have done. The White Orc would have taken the line of Durin with him one way or another."

I nodded again, not really feeling his words of comfort. "I'll keep an eye on your son, Gloin, I promise you that."

The father nodded, standing as he went to leave. "I appreciate this more than you realize, Princess."

I grimaced at the title as he closed the door behind him.

A/N: My story line follows the movie, for the most part, through the Two Towers. It will branch off but until then my character is simply input with mild changes to the movie story line. Please bear with me!


	3. Chapter 3

"The Ring-Bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom." Elrond Began. "On you who travel with him, no oath or bond is laid to go further than you will Farewell. Hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you." Elrond ended his farewell.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-Bearer." Gandalf announced.

Frodo took a look around the elvish city once more, turning to look over his companions. Taking the first step, he walked through the Fellowship, leading the way out of the gates. "Mordor, Gandalf is it left or right?"

"Left." The Wizard answered, setting a hand on the halfling's shoulder.

Aragorn paused at the gate, turning back, he exchanged a longing glance with a dark haired elvish girl standing behind Lord Elrond.

As we walked along, I stayed up to the front, remaining as a scout while the rest of the Fellowship stayed a few moments behind me at all times.

Towards the top of a hill, I crouched down, scanning the area before us for anything that would hinder our progress.

"Hello!" I heard behind me.

Gandalf and the others has managed to let the hobbits catch up to me while I was otherwise engaged.

"Hello." I greeted.

"Samwise Gamgee." Introduced the broad hobbit with near-blonde hair, holding out his hand.

I took his hand, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Samwise."

"This here is Mr. Frodo Baggins, the Ring-Bearer."

"And what a fine Ring-Bearer you make, Mr. Frodo." I shook hands with him as well.

The two redheads ran up. "Merriadoc Brandybuck." Announced the bigger of the two. "This here is Perregrin Took" He pointed to the one previously called 'Pip'.

"Delightful to meet the lot of you. It's been far too long since I've had a chance to converse with hobbits."

"You've met hobbits before?" Frodo asked.

I nodded. "I met your uncle Bilbo Baggins on his venture with the dragon, all of those years ago. The Lonely Mountain would still be a dragon's den had it not been for a hobbit."

The Dwarf had caught up by then "What would you know about the Lonely Mountain?"

"Plenty, Gimli, son of Gloin. Thrain gave me a personal tour before the even with Smaug. A perfect specimen of dwarvish ingenuity."

The dwarf nodded proudly. "Aye, it is."

"Yes, boost dwarvish ego." Legolas commented to me in elvish as he passed.

"This will be a long journey unless we can all get along." I responded, in elvish as well.

"What did he say?!" Gimli shouted, taking offense.

I shrugged. "Simply that dwarves are a rather confident race and surely compliments from the like of me are needless to some so proud and self-assured."

"Come, let us make camp." Aragorn interrupted, marching past us all.


	4. Chapter 4

We stopped for camp on the rolling hills beyond the end of elvish lands. The journey so far had been walking, upon walking, upon walking. As soon as we had decided to stop, the hobbits set upon cooking; sausage, and potatoes on a pan atop a fire.

The broad little hobbit with near-blonde hair had tied off the pack pony, Bill. The others found places to sit and rest, laying down their heavier articles.

"We must hold this course, west of the Misty Mountains," Gandalf explained, "for 40 days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there, our road turns east to Mordor."

"Good, very good." Boromir praised the hobbits he was sparing with, the two red-headed fellow; Pip and his companion Merry.

"Move your feet." Aragorn coached, smoking his pipe on the sidelines.

The hobbits shared praise amongst themselves before Boromir interrupted, continuing to spar.

"If anyone was to ask my opinion, which I note, they're not, I'd say we're taking the long way 'round." Gimli proceeded with his deep voiced dwarvish rant. "Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."

"Gandalf has never been keen upon taking the opinions of others, Master Dwarf." I informed the dwarf.

Gandalf maintained his skeptical expression, glancing over me to look as the dwarf as he answered. "No, Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice."

I listened to the wizard refuse the idea, a trickle of my memory at the mention of such an ancient and familiar place. Also the memory of bad things within those dwarvis halls.

Suddenly the elf ascended onto a perch high on a stone, watching the sky.

Gandalf followed his gaze, removing his pipe from his lips.

I watched the elf curiously, waiting for a sign of danger, expecting him to tense if he was something out of the ordinary.

I heard the hobbits shouting in the background as Boromir disarmed one, hitting too hard for their small statures. It erupted in a pile up of the hobbits on the man.

"For the Shire!"

"Hold him down, Merry!"

Aragorn laughed at the ordeal, "Gentleman, that's enough!" He attempted.

The hobbits answered in turn, toppling the Ranger from his feet.

"What is that?" Sam asked, following the wizard's gaze to the horizon.

"Nothing. Just a wisp of cloud." Gimli brushed off.

"It's moving fast," Boromir noted, standing. "Against the wind."

I looked beyond the elf, finally, seeing what appeared similar to birds flocking directly towards us at a pace that birds themselves were incapable of.

"Crebain from Dunland." The elf shouted.

"Hide!" Aragorn commanded. "Cover! Take Cover!"

The camp scrambled, putting out fires and hiding packs while they scurried for cover.

I jumped off of my rock perch as I rushed for the larger cliffs.

The elf came up besided me, placing a hand on my ribs, he pushed me into one of the large boulders on his way to duck under plant-life.

I saw his hair flash past the leaves just before I was surrounded by blackness, tumbling into the stone.

"Spies of Saruman." I heard Gandalf, once they had passed.

I felt a hand land on the rock in front of where I was hiding. Latching onto the elvish fingers as Legolas pulled me from the rock, I had vanished into. None of the others seemed to notice as they focused on the Wizard.

"The passage south is being watched." The Grey continued. "We must take the Pass of Caradhras." He decided, looking towards the mountain.

It was then that I removed my hand from the elf's out of frustration, Damning the wizard for his decision.

The Pass of Caradhra was high in the mountains. A cold barren wasteland of noting but frost and cliff. Taking such a passage was harmful to us all. Those such as hobbits not ever having dealt with the temperatures too cold for life to survive for any period of time.

"Bek!" I heard from behind me.

Turning, I found myself face to face with the elf. "Yes?"

"I wanted to apologize. It was harsh of me to shove you into that stone. I simply meant to ensure Saruman did not sense your presence."

I nodded, looking off to the left of him. "There's nothing to apologize for. You did as you thought right. There was no wrong done by your actions."

He nodded. "I would still extend my sincerity to you, My Lady."

I looked at his face then, seeing the diplomacy in his end of this conversation. "You are forgiven, Elf-Lord." I responded in his native tongue. "Perhaps we should be kinder to each other on this journey."

His face showed how unsure he really was at my offer, yet his eyes showed amusement. "There is yet more journey to be had, My Lady. I would not want you to get bored so easily."

A smile tugged at my lips as he held my gaze.

Behind him, I saw the Ring-Bearer slip and slide downhill in the snow. He rolled head over feet as Aragorn chased after him.

Catching him, the Ranger helped the hobbit to his feet.

Automatically, Frodo groped for the Ring, finding it absent from his neck. Looking up, he saw Boromir holding his trinket by the chain as he gazed upon it with a hungry look.

"Boromir." Aragorn called to his kinsman.

"It is a strange fate, that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing." He seemed to be mumbling without thought, the black speech taunting him whilst I listened. "Such a little thing."

"Boromir!" Aragorn interrupted his ramblings. "Give the ring to Frodo."

All of the fellowship seemed to have tensed, watching what was happening.

Slowly, the man removed his eyes from the ring and approached to hand it back to the Ring-Bearer. "As you wish."

Watching the man wearily, the hobbit removed the jewelry from his grasp, once again taking possession.

"I care not." Boromir spat, attempting to forget his brush with the evil entity. Exchanging a look with Aragorn, he laughed ruffling the hobbit's black hair as he proceeded to walk back up the mountain.

As the company turned from the altercation, the elf caught my attention, nodding towards my hand, where I held my sword halfway from its sheath within my grip.

I hadn't even noticed how fiercely I had taken the altercation.

Resheathing my sword, it made a sound with the force I shoved the hilt against the setting. Boromir glanced in my direction, a look crossing his face as he established my threat.

The mountain simply got harsher as we continued. At one point the men were carrying the hobbits to keep them above snow level.

Our progress was all but stopped by the frost.

Legolas scouted ahead, remaining above the snow by his lithe, lightweight elven form. "There is a fell voice on the air!" He shouted back to us as we marched along a large cliff.

"It's Saruman." Gandalf shouted.

The ice and snow above our ledge began to crack and slip.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn shouted over the wind and ice, holding tight to the hobbits in his grasp.

Gandalf turned from him, beginning a chant in Sindarin. He was making an attempt to negate Saruman's magic.

Lightning shot out of a cloud, striking the peak of the mountain we were on, bringing down snow and ice upon our heads.

Tucking into my cloak, I ducked from the snow. Before I could crouch down in an attempt to stabilize myself, I was struck by one of the chunks of frost, sending me sliding down the ice towards the edge of the cliff.

"Rebekah!" I heard shouted through the downpour.

Reaching out, I dug my nails into the snow, feeling my fingers gain strength as my nails got longer and sharper to drive into the snow, saving me from death.

Fingers wrapping around my hand as I finally began to slow, pulling me closer and away from the edge.

We were all buried in the snow. Drenched further as more of the snow conformed to our bodily shapes and melted with our body heat.

Pushing through the cold, dark layers, each of us one by one rose to air.

The snowflakes melted into my hair only to refreeze as the wind passed us.

"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir shouted. "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the West Road to my city!"

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn argued.

The dwarf shouted behind them. "If we cannot pass over a mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria."

Gandalf took on the same skeptical look he had had before. Memories flooded forward from deep places. "Let the Ring-Bearer decide."

I looked from the Wizard to the hobbit as I realized how much this meant for Gandalf to put the decision into another's hands.

"We cannot stay here!" Boromir yelled. "This will be the death of the hobbits."

"Frodo?" Gandalf asked again.

Frodo took a breath of frozen air. "We will go through the mines." He stated, looking only at the Wizard.

"So be it." Gandalf accepted.


	5. Chapter 5

As we made our along the path to Moria, I found myself wal-king with the rest of the Fellowship for the first time in the journey, rather than scouting ahead or lagging behind.

"It's rather odd isn't it?" Boromir began, glancing in my direction as he began conversation. "As long as we've been on this journey, and none of us know your name."

I looked ahead. "That isn't true. Gandalf knew my name long before I entered that council. As did Aragorn and the elf."

"And the rest of us?" The man continued. "Are we not worth the introduction?"

Suddenly the dwarf gasped. "The wall of Moria." He exhaled incredulously.

"Call me Bek." I snapped at Boromir before I rushed forward to join the elf at the forefront of the group.

"Interesting conversation, Bek."

"Do elf ears miss anything?" I smirked.

"Plenty. Though not the words of Man, they are rather loud. Second only to dwarves."

"Perhaps you should act nicer to the race of dwarves. Tauriel found love with one, did she not?"

A grim look crossed his face. "And look how well her little venture from our race ended."

"Do not judge her, my Lord." I sneered slipping into my own common tongue. "For you should remember the consequence of your venture from your own race."

"There was caution in those proceedings. Not the blatant disobedience she used to get her way. And how did that end?"

I shook my head. "Tell yourself whatever it take to sleep at night, my Prince."

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed." The Dwarf informed.

"Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten." Gandalf reminded him.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" The elf muttered, earning a growl from the dwarf.

"Ah, let's see." Gandalf mumbled as he approached the wall. "Ithildin. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight." Turning, the wizard gazed up at the sky as the clouds came from in front of the moon allowing the light to bounce off of the rock, illuminating the dwarf door. "It reads 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend and enter'."

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.

"Oh it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password. And the doors will open." Putting his staff to the door, he started rambling in elvish.

Nothing changed and the wizard tried again. "I once knew every spells in all the tongues of Elves, Men and Orcs."

"What're you going to do then?" Pippin asked.

"Knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took." Gandalf snapped at the hobbit. "And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words."

"Worry not, Pippin." I allowed. "Wizards often find irritation in their own lack of knowledge. Particularly when it is knowledge that they, once upon a time, were capable of producing within moments." I chuckled. "He means no harm, rest assured."

"And you would know so very much of wizards, young lady?" Boromir entered.

"More than you do." I responded. "I've always been curious, which is preferred by the race of man, Stewardson or Your Temporary Highness?"  
"It's rather interesting, 'by the race of man'?" Boromir countered. "What does that make you, my lady?"

"Not a lady. That's what it makes me."

"I find it rather amusing, then. That someone who is not of nobility finds such respect with the lords of Men, Elves, Wizards and even Dwarves."

"Perhaps it is simply that I understand the concept of keeping my mouth shut?"

"I wouldn't dare to believe that." Boromir sneered. "I've never heard of dwarves caring much for such, delicacy, as yourself, compared to dwarvish women. And you are hardly a picture of magnificence to turn the eyes of Elves. Therefore I doubt the respect you carry comes by your sheer presence."

Gimli was the first to stand. "Dare you say that our women lack 'delicacy'? Rather we find your human women common and quash for our hearty tastes. You will realize this once Gandolf gains entry into the great Mines or Moria."

"And perhaps the Lady was right to correct you on speaking less." Aragorn added, lighting his pipe. "For you, who has rarely been faced with the sights of women of Elvish and Dwarvish decent, to judge our tastes and the attractions we may or may not carry for a woman you know no more about than that she is within a league of yourself and cares not for your careless, foolish words."

"And you who has known only the women of races that aren't your own," Boromir turned to his kinsman. "Dare you even remember what our women are like?"

"Dare you?" I input. "Were you not the Steward's son and considered a warrior to your people, I doubt you would know the company of your women."

"And you are familiar with the company of men." He stood. "Perhaps whatever race you choose to identify with, they may not care whose company you choose, but amongst men, it is frowned upon for a woman to march with 9 men."

"Perhaps you should cease in attacking members of this fellowship who mean you no harm." Legolas input.

"No harm?" Boromir laughed. "You mean how she pulled her sword on me upon the mountain?"

"That was not a declaration of harm meant." I snapped. "It was a defense to a quest far bigger than your life. I can make it harmful if you'd like." I rested my hand on my hilt.

Legolas turned to me, slipping into his native elf tongue. "Enough. Step away from this altercation, Highness. Remove yourself from this situation in which you find yourself endangering this mission. You help none of us by threatening the son of a man whose help we may need, should this come to war."

I looked past him to the man in question. Taking a hand off of my sword, I turned from the fellowship, moving to the side of the mountain, resting against the great Moria, to which we still lacked entrance.

The rest settled in as the Grey Wizard worked his way through all of the elvish and dwarvish spells he could fathom for this situation.

"Care to help him?" Legolas asked me, coming to sit down.

I put my head on my knees. "Not really. Moria was never in my graces, nor I it. No wonder I forgot the password."

"You forget nothing, Bek."

I glanced over at him. "There are a few things that I have forgotten over the years."

"Such as?"

"The arrogance of the Men of Gondor."

"I believe you once considered the entire race so arrogant. Have you learned since then?"

"Hardly. But having experienced life within each of the race, some of them are tolerable. This one, however, is not."

He nodded. "Maybe I will bet the dwarf on just how long it takes you to stab this man of Gondor?"

I scoffed, staring out across the water as the hobbits threw rocks across the black mirror surface. "The Prince, bored enough to make bets with dwarves about the mortality of men? Maybe it is befitting that we are not being nice to one another. It may yet keep us both out of worlds of trouble."

Aragorn grabbed one of the young hobbits, forcing them to stop with their rocks. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his white teeth glint in a smile.

I nearly smiled myself when I felt the rock behind me shake. It was then that I heard the growling, groaning sound of the Dwarf doors opening.


	6. Chapter 6

Legolas was on his feet in seconds, offering me a hand.

I politely took his offer of help and we approached the doors of Moria with the others in the fellowship, holding back as the rest moved forward.

Gimli began at the entrance to the cave. "Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This my friend is the home of my cousin Balin.

Gandalf lit a candle within his staff, bringing light to life within the dark cavern. I wrinkled my nose at the dry, disgusting smell that I could not figure the origin of.

"And they call it a mine." Gimli continued, proudly. "A Mine!"

I was finally able to figure out the smell, and in that moment the rest of the fellowship was able to see the in the near darkness from the light of the wizard's staff.

"This is no mine." Boromir stated, turning to take in more sights of the room. "It's a tomb."

The hobbits were the first to appear frightened, looking down to see the corpses on the floor.

Gimli gasped, not seeming to comprehend at first. "No….No!" He moved amongst the bodies, as if he might find a kinsman amongst the rubble who might still be alive. "NO!"

Legolas pulled an arrow out of one of the deceased, "Goblins."

I felt my face itch and my nails chipped away at the rock as they changed to talons. My sight became sharper, allowing me to see in the dark better than even the elf in the crystal light.

Aragorn and Boromir drew their swords. Legolas drew his bow, notching an arrow.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Boromir commanded. "We should never have come here. Now, get out of here. Get out!"

The hobbits managed to back out of the doors before Frodo seemingly slipped, as he yelled out, I looked over to see him being pulled into the water by a large, dark tentacle.

"Frodo!" Sam yelled, turning into the tomb. "Strider!" Pulling his short sword, rushing to his aid. "Get off him! Strider! Aragorn!"

Sam chopped the tentacle, allowing the others to pull him away as the tentacle retracted into the water.

As they all landed, another dozen tentacles had risen from the lake, one of them grabbing up Frodo yet again.

Legolas loosed an arrow into the monster.

From the air, all the hobbit managed to yell was, "Strider!"

Aragorn and Boromir went into the water, swinging swords at tentacles as they came up from to the surface.

The head of the monster rose from the water, black and sleek and harsh looking. It opened what seemed to be three layers of mouths to reveal plenty of enormous teeth as it attempted to lower Frodo directly into its huge maw.

I moved to the lake, my hands darkening as scales spread down my arms. Moving into the water, one of the tentacles came up to wrap around my waist, lifting me up. Touching my hands to it, ice spread down the leg, before I tapped a nail to it and went falling with the shards of broken tentacles. I came into contact with another tentacle before I could meet the lake surface.

Aragorn cut off one of its larger tentacles, causing it to drop Frodo, who was then caught by Boromir.

"Into the Mines." Gandalf shouted from the doorways.

"Legolas!" Boromir shouted to the elf. "Into the cave!"

The elf got an arrow into the things face, causing it to pause. "Rebekah!"

Hobbits first, the fellowship rushed down the corridor, past the entry tomb. The creature followed into them, tentacles first into the mine.

"Bek!" Aragorn shouted.

I rushed with the monster on right behind me as the cavern collapsed down on top of it. Catching up, I brushed past Aragorn, bumping into Boromir and Legolas once I was back with the group.

The Roof collapsed, majority of it falling directly on the monster.

"We not have but one choice." Gandalf said, lighting his staff once more. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world."

Gandalf led the way into the Mine, the rest of us following behind him, weapons ready.

"Took you long enough to get back in the Mine." Boromir snapped at me before walking off with the rest of the company.

"At least he cares now." Aragorn noted.

"Quietly, now." Gandalf mumbled into the darkness. "It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed."


	7. Chapter 7

We all moved through the Mines, at a steady pace, moving in silence.

Gandalf stopped at a passage of wall, running his hands down the stone admiringly, "The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels, but mithril."

I recognized the element he spoke of, remembering it from times long past. I nodded in response to the wizards fact.

The others in the fellowship looked over the side of our passage, deep into the earth down into where the dwarves had dug and drilled.

Gandalf waived his staff off of the edge, lighting the element, causing the Mithril to glint and brighten, refracting light inside the mountain.

One of the hobbits leaned over, another keeping him from falling.

"Bilbo had a shirt of mithril rings," Gandalf remembered. "that Thorin gave him."

Gimli gasped. "Oh, that was a kingly gift." He expressed with admiration.

"Yes," The Wizard agreed, "I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of the Shire."

I caught Frodo's face as he heard the Wizard's words. He was in awe of such a small thing's worth.

"Didn't you once possess such armor?" Aragorn asked me, going into elvish.

"I do still." I responded. "More than one set."

"What, forget where you left them?" Legolas muttered, aiming it at me.

"No, I left them with your people." I returned. "I felt that I should I ever again need it, I would once again be on civil terms with the King of Mirkwood."

Legolas stopped and looked back at me. Ignoring his gaze, I moved around him, continuing forward.

We worked our way through the mines, getting to parts both steep and shallow. We reached parts where it was scant more than bare Cliffside. Stairs carved into stone that the hobbits found troubling to climb. Passing by books and bones long forgotten and no longer relevant to the minds of the living.

We came to an antechamber where we were faced with three doorways.

Galdalf stopped, looking gravely upon the doorways before us. "I have no memory of this place."

The rest of the Fellowship shuffled around as Gandalf continued to gaze at the three pathways we were to choose from.

Aragorn took a seat and lit his pipe, Boromir sat besides him, quiet.

"Are we lost?" Pippin asked.

"Shhh." Merry responded. "No."

"I think we are."

"Shhh. Gandalf's thinking."

"Merry?"

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

I chuckled at the little hobbit in the simplicity of his last request.

"May I?" Legolas asked, gesturing to the seat besides me.

I nodded.

"All of your years in these halls," He began in mortal language, "Are you sure you do not remember the way?"

"The way where?" I asked, keeping my voice low so as to not attract the attention of the others. "I dare not assume to know the way the Wizard leads us."

"He is leading us out of these Mines and onto the other side of the mountains."

"Towards Mordor?" I chuckled. "That is the last place in Middle Earth I would like to go."

It was his turn to chuckle. "Our last conversation, the last place you wanted to be was within a hundred leagues of wherever I was."

"Do not confuse the two claims. I will find more entertainment in Mordor than I have thus far in your company. Though your company has yet to increase my suffering, it neither increases my joy of this venture."

"Oh," Gandalf suddenly started. "It's this way."

"He's remembered!" One of the hobbits announced with glee.

"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here." He explained. "If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose."

"Bek," Legolas caught my attention as we exited the antechamber into a hallway. "Do you at least remember if this path is safe?"

I allowed the rest of the fellowship to leave us while I mulled over an answer. "No path is safe whilst we have the Ring-Bearer within our company. Made less safe still by the fact that Gollum is a known snitch and following us for a matter of days now. All I know is that we'd better be ready for a fight, because I'm sure one will arise before we manage to exit Moria."

"Why are you so sure we're going to get into a battle in the middle of a tomb?"  
"When have you and I ever travelled anywhere together while managing to avoid a fight?"

"Is that your only reasoning?" He persisted, avoiding my joke.

"No." I looked back to ensure we had not gotten too far behind the Fellowship. "Dwarves have never been a race to die easily. Goblins are not the type to kill for sport and simply abandon their rewards. Something still lives in the caves, something none of us hope to encounter upon this journey."

I didn't wait for a response from the elf. I rushed back to join the company before I was unable to see Gandalf's light.


	8. Chapter 8

At the end of the hallway, we reached a set of stairs.

"Let me risk a little more light." Gandalf muttered to himself, mostly.

The company paused, looking up in wonder at great stone archways leading from the entryway where we now stood.

"Khazad-dum." I mumbled quietly, looking at Legolas, "This I remember." I said to him, continuing around the wizard.

"Behold the great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf." Gandalf announced.

"There's an eye opener," Samwise said, "and no mistake."

Even Boromir stopped for a moment and took in the sight with awe.

Gimli, who had grown up in halls similar to this, was still amazed at its wonder.

The fellowship continued forward, through the archway and into the dwarf-city.

Gimli remained right behind Gandalf, looking for anything in the darkness to explain what had happened to his kin besides simply 'goblins'.

Catching sight of something, the dwarf took off ahead of the group.

"Gimli!" Gandalf called after him.

"No. NO." We heard the dwarf's voice echo through the halls.

Following behind him, we found the dwarf kneeling in a burial chamber. The caves had been engineered to bring light down upon the stone funeral box.

"NO…no…" The dwarf continued to mutter before breaking down into sobs.

The rest of the Fellowship moved forward into the chamber.

"'Here lies Balin,'" Gandalf read from the box, "'son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.' He is dead, then." The wizard respectfully removed his hat. "It's as I feared.

Looking around, there were warriors, guards, soldiers who had fought with their last for their Lord and leader, burying him in their most respectful tradition when he had not survived the battle.

One corpse was clutching a rather large book.

Handing his staff and hat off to Pippin, Gandalf removed the book from its charge's skeletal hands.

Opening the volume to the very end, he dusted off the last entry.

"We must move on." Legolas chastised Aragorn. "We cannot linger."

"'They have taken the bridge,'" Gandalf read aloud, "'and the second hall. We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. … They are coming.'"

The silence in the room was broken as metal and bone clanked down the dry well in the tomb. All of us turning, one of the hobbits, Pip had a scared and embarrassed look on his face, while the dwarf skeleton behind him was sitting on the well wall, missing his head.

While some of the others glared at him, the rest of the skeleton proceeded to go over the side of the wall, making even more noise than his head had, dragging with him a long, thick dwarvish chain as well as the water bucket. The crashing from the well could be heard in every corner of Dwarrowdelf and possibly beyond.

The hobbit seemed to grimace and look slightly more scared with every sound rising behind him.

Finally there was silence, Boromir sighed in relief, while the hobbits still looked scared. Aragorn and Legolas seemed to be on edge.

Gandalf shut the book, turning on the hobbit. "Fool of a Took!" He jerked his hat and staff away from the boy. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity."

I took up the volume of record Gandalf had thrown down, tucking it into one of the bags from the pack horse. "Care not for words from an angry wizard, Master Took." I whispered, moving over to the hobbit. "They often say things they don't mean, simply out of concern."

The sound of drums beating rose from the well first, spreading as the sound was produced throughout the halls, coming from every possible route from the room we were in.

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam called.

I looked over as the hobbit pulled his blade from its sheath, it was glowing a bright shade of blue.

Legolas caught the light as I did. "Orcs."

Boromir turned, rushing towards the doors of the tomb, looking for sight of their foes. He pulled his head just out of the way to avoid two arrows meant for it.

"Get back!" Aragorn called to the hobbits. "Stay close to Gandalf."

The wizard rallied the hobbits together in a corner, behind the rest of the Fellowship.

Boromir and Aragorn worked together to close the door of the tomb.

"They have a cave-troll." Boromir announced biting out the unfortunate fact.

Legolas with his bow in one hand, tossed axes from the fallen dwarf warriors to use in blockading the doors. "Bek!"

"Yeah, I know." I snapped, moving from the well. Handing my pack off to one of the hobbits, I stripped off my cloak, tossing it down, I pulled an axe from a deceased warrior.

"Do you even know what to do with that?" Gimli shouted at me.

"For far longer than you have, Master Dwarf." I responded.

Behind me I heard the hobbits draw their small knifes and daggers.

Legolas shot me a look, glancing from them to me as me tossed me a pair of leather gloves.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." I whispered, knowing his elf ears heard me as I pulled on the gloves and gripped the handle of my axe tightly.

Backing away from the door, Boromir drew his sword, Legolas and Aragorn drawing bows besides him.

Gimli jumped onto the funeral box, axe brandished. "Let them come! There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath."

There was a pounding on the doors, wooden handles on the axes began to crack and splinter.

Orcs began to break down the doors, chipping away at the wood with axes and pikes of their own.

Arrows flew from our side of the threshold, taking out orcs a few at a time.

Suddenly the door was broken down, orcs bursting through.

Our archers took out a few of the first wave, thinning out the enemy. Despite their best efforts, we soon found ourselves beyond range combat. Orcs were upon us, leaving us to battle with sword and axe. Hobbits joined the battle, ducking under weapons while they managed to stab their opponents upwards through the torso. Aragorn turned to sword, while the elf continued to take out the nastier looking Orcs with arrows.

Before long, the cave-troll that Boromir has mentioned, came breaking its way into the room, snarling and growling with its mouth wide open and broken teeth barred.

Legolas stuck it with an arrow which seemed to anger it.

Samwise ducked underneath the troll's legs just before it brought down a club on the place where the hobbit had once stood.

When there wasn't a bloody mess left behind, the troll turned around, once again facing the hobbit.

With Sam cornered, the troll was about to crush him when Aragorn and Boromir gripped the chain attached to its collar and pulled with all of their weight, taking him off balance.

The troll grabbed the chain closest to himself, Aragorn managed to duck, while Boromir was thrown, bouncing down the stone walls onto the ground.

Rolling over, Boromir was face to face with an Orc standing over him, another not far behind.

Aragorn threw his sword at the imminent threat standing over his kinsman, while I came up behind Boromir and stabbed an awaiting Orc.

Boromir shot Aragorn a thankful look which was returned, then he looked to me. "Thank you."

I nodded, pulling Aragorn's sword from the Orc nearest us.

Gimli threw his axe at the troll, landing it in his chest.

The troll proceeded to swing his club, bringing it down upon the funeral box which exploded into rubble and dust. The dwarf managed to dive out of the way just in time.

I looked at Boromir. "Can you cover me?" I asked him, eyes on the rubble and the body newly uncovered beneath it.

"For what?"

"Yes or no?" I demanded.

He looked at me for the half second time we had, before nodding.

Moving forward, I swung the axe in my hands, driving it into the troll right in the fleshy part of its side. Leaving it there, I ducked underneath its swinging arm while Boromir took out an Orc approaching us.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the hobbits rushing for cover as I jumped into the pile of stone in the center of the room. Boromir was right on top of me, taking out Orcs that got rather close. Behind him, I saw an Orc coming directly at him with a spike. Moving around the man, I ducked underneath his arm, getting close to his body and in between him and the Orc weapon. Reaching out, I wrapped my hand around the spike, just behind the point, using it as leverage to swing the Orc down onto the floor before I saw an elvish arrow pierce his neck.

"I suppose we're even now." Boromir acknowledged as I moved around him, back into the wreckage.

Ignoring him, I kicked a few pieces of stone before reaching down to seize the square, leather-wrapped handle of an large double sided axe.

The troll was now on a rampage towards Gimli, who had somehow retrieved his axe. Swinging angrily, it was managing to take out more Orcs than anything else.

Gandalf was fighting, stabbing with one hand and using his staff to fight off the rest. Legolas momentarily gave up on his arrows, pulling out an elvish long knife for Orcs that had gotten too close. The elf barely managed to duck as the troll began to swing the chain from his collar, taking out an archway behind the elf.

As the troll kept swinging the chain, the elf stayed out of his way, until he managed to get the chain stuck around a pillar. Taking the chance the elf crossed the chain as though it were a bridge and setting a foot on either shoulder, released a bolt directly into the troll's head.

The troll let out a hoarse whining sound, reaching up to grasp the elf already back on the ground.

Sam had pulled a pan loose from his pack and was not using it to clobber the faces of Orcs around him. "I think I'm getting the hang of this."

The other three pulled their swords, carefully coming from their hiding place. The troll saw them and attempted to bring his club down upon them.

"Frodo!" Aragorn called, fighting off his own Orcs while trying to ensure the Ring-Bearer's survival.

The hobbit was hiding behind a large pillar, moving along it as he heard the troll peek around another side. Suddenly, the troll proved smarter than anticipated and caught sight of the hobbit. After a moment of chase, it managed to catch the hobbit by his leg.

"Aragorn! Aragorn!" The hobbit called for the Ranger.

The man stumbled, leaning hard against the wall while he looked at the captured hobbit, "Frodo!" He rushed over towards them.

Frodo managed to grip his sword, slashing the troll in the hand hard enough for it to let him go.

Grabbing a pike, Aragorn jumped between the hobbit and the troll. Running up, he jabbed the pike underneath the troll's ribs just before he was crushed, causing the beast to drop the rock in his hands. The hobbits began pelting him with rocks.

Waving his arm, the troll hit the man, tossing him high against the wall before he fell downward onto the ground.

Frodo rushed over, trying to wake the man.

The troll managed to pull the pike from his chest, waving it around he aimed for Frodo.

The hobbit ducked, moving out of the way of the weapon. He attempted to move away from the beast, running along the wall, but he was stopped as the troll stuck the pike there, cornering him.

The scared little hobbit backed into the corner.

The troll gripped the pike, pulling back he stabbed it into the hobbit's chest with a fair bit of his strength.

The hobbit cried out, making yell then his breathing turned heavy and hoarse.

Merry and Pippin, after seeing their brethren fall, turned their little swords on the troll, both of them diving onto its back, swords driving in.

Gandalf looked on, taking in the scene.

"Frodo!" Sam yelled, coming around the corner, brandishing his pan as he fought his way to the Ring-Bearer.

I chopped into my last orc, rushing over to the falling hobbit. An orc grabbed my hair as I moved, jerking me off of my feet.

It sneered as it rose over me, attempting to stab me.

Raising my hand up, bright light shot from my fingers, hitting the orc and sending him flying across the room with a whole in his chest.

Getting up, I blasted more Orcs on my way to the hobbit, knocking out the ones advancing towards Aragorn's still body.

Gandalf seemed to catch his bearing, fighting once again with sword and staff.

Boromir had taken up his shield, raising it, with sword in the other hand.

Frodo fell forward, landing face first on the stone.

Merry and Pippin continued to stab at the troll while riding on its back.

The troll managed to grab one of the hobbits from its back, swinging him around while he yelled.

Gimli ran up and stabbed the troll in the back of its leg. It turned to face him as Gandalf came up with his sword and staff.

The hobbit was dropped in the flurry of the wizard and dwarf ganging up upon the troll.

Legolas carefully took aim, trying to get off a shot that didn't hit the hobbit.

The little hobbit raised his sword, bringing it down into the troll's neck.

Rearing its head up as it yelled, the troll gaped open his mouth.

Legolas took that shot, hitting the roof of the troll's mouth.

The creature slowed, dizzily stumbling before falling forward and launching the hobbit off of his back with a yell.

I got to the Ring-Bearer as Aragorn did, Gandalf rushing over in tow.

"Oh, no." The man breathed sadly. Taking the hobbit's shoulder, he rolled his body over.

Frodo groaned as he was rolled.

Sam rushed over. "He's alive." He announced to the Fellowship, his face lighting up.

I stepped back, giving them all room.

Gandalf sighed in relief.

Frodo managed to sit up on his own, looking at the others. "I'm all right. I'm not hurt."

"You should be dead." Aragorn whispered. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar."

"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf incurred, an amused smile on his face.

Frodo looked at him, then unbuttoned is top to look at his undamaged armor underneath.

"Mithril." Gimli recognized aloud, gazing at the metal almost in wonder.

I smirked, nodding. "Of course." I whispered.

"You are full of surprises Master Baggins." The dwarf smiled.

I felt a hand on my side, turning I found myself looking at the Elf.

"Are you all right?" He asked me quietly.

I nodded. "Unharmed. Yourself?"

"Same."

"I do apologize for destroying your glove." I said, raising my hand. The leather around my palm was burnt, the rest of the glove cracking.

There was a smile tugging his lips. "I think I can get another pair."

We were all startled by shrieking in the halls. More Orcs were approaching us.

"To the Bridge of Khazad-dum!" Gandalf commanded.


	9. Chapter 9

Running as fast as our legs would carry us, we all made for the bridge. Orcs followed behind us, growling and hissing and shouting.

I stopped, turning, more light blasted from my hands, igniting the ground in patches, taking out orcs too stupid to stop. Turning back towards the fellowship, I rushed to catch up, tightening my axe on my back as I ran.

We were forced to a stop as we found ourselves surrounded.

Gimli brandished his axe as he shouted at the enemy.

I felt the shoulders of my top rip from inside out, blood running down my back as incisions split my skin.

A soft hand lay on the rips. "Not yet." I heard from behind me.

I listened, allowing the incisions to close.

Suddenly there was a growl from deep in the caves. Light shone far down the corridor causing the orcs to flinch. Another growl caused the Orcs to abandon their mission, they shrieked and scurried as far away from the fellowship and the light as fast as they could.

The fellowship went on guards, preparing to face whatever predator had scared off the Orcs.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked Gandalf as they both watched light bounce off of stone.

Gandalf did not answer. He simply looked, with growing dread, in the direction of this new monster. "A Balrog." He finally answered. "A demon of the ancient world."

Legolas looked down the corridor in horror, having heard of the animal.

I groaned, "You've got to be joking."

"You know what it is?" Asked Gimli.

"Unfortunately."

"This foe is beyond any of you." Gandalf mumbled thoughtfully. "Run."

The fellowship took his command, taking off down the corridor still brandishing their weapons.

"Quickly!" Gandalf ushered the others in front of him.

We rushed down stairs, Boromir leading the way.

I heard him shout, followed by a mighty echo. Rounding the corner I saw the man at a standstill looking down as he tried not to fall.

The elf rushed forward, grabbing the man and pulling him backwards.

The others came to a stop, looking over the side in fear as they saw how deep this chamber really was.

Aragorn slowed. "Gandalf!"

The wizard leaned upon the wall for balance. He grasped the man's shoulder. "Lead them on, Aragorn."

I turned, looking behind me at the wizard. He was ceding leadership of the group to the man, it was not a sign to be taken lightly.

"The bridge is near." The wizard told him, looking in the direction they needed to travel.

Aragorn followed his gaze, seeing the bridge. He turned to the wizard, ready to refuse the order.

"Do as I say!" The wizard ordered the ranger, pushing him to rejoin the fellowship. He got off the wall to follow. "Swords are no more use here."

Following the stairs down, we came to a break in the stone.

Legolas jumped first, turning around to assist the others.

There was growling and fire behind us, Gandalf turning to assess the monster while we prepared to cross.

"Gandalf." Legolas called, beckoning him to jump.

The wizard made it across just as arrow began to rain on us from above.

I looked up, seeing Orcs high upon the walls.

An arrow narrowly missing hitting hobbit feet.

Aragorn and Legolas retaliated, firing back at the Orcs.

One of the archers fell, giving them a few moments to jump.

"Merry! Pippin!" Boromir shouted, grabbing the two hobbits and jumping across the gap.

As his feet left the stone, it fell away, making the span of air in between the two sides larger.

More arrows rained down.

Legolas fought back, downing archer after archer.

"Sam." Aragorn picked up the hobbit, tossing him through the air towards the others. He reached for the dwarf.

"Nobody tosses a dwarf." Gimli argued. With a shout, he jumped across.

As he landed on the very edge of the stairs, he stumbled, falling backwards. Legolas rushed forward, grabbing him by the beard. "Not the beard!"

As the dwarf's boots began to slid, sending him closer to going over the edge, the elf pulled him forward by the beard, stabilizing him on the other side.

The stairs on the other side of Aragorn and Frodo began to crack and break away.

The man grabbed the hobbit, tossing him farther up the stairs, past where they were breaking away, as he himself attempted to climb away from the chasm.

"Hold on!" He warned the hobbit, holding him stable so he didn't fall to his death.

I exchanged a look with the elf. At his solemn nod, I felt my back break open with incisions, spikes tearing through my shirt as I gripped onto the hobbit.

The walls we had just come past began to crack, breaking as the Balrog growled from the other side, fire visible through the doorway.

The pillar we were standing on began to crack and wobble with the weight upon its top.

Aragorn grabbed the hobbit by the cloak. "Hang on!"

"Aragorn!" I hissed, feeling the stone rock underfoot whilst I gripped onto both of them.

"Lean forward." The man commanded, ignoring me.

The hobbit did as he said, I moved underneath the man's arm, getting closer to the edge than either of them.

The pillar we were on began to fall in the direction of the others, getting us closer and closer.

"Come on!" Legolas shouted, ready to catch them.

The pair jumped, the elf catching the man and Boromir catching the hobbit.

They all made their way towards the end, rushing down even more stairs as stone cracked and arrows fell towards us.

I felt a sharp pain in my torso, shouting, I slowed. Reaching around, I pulled an Orc bolt out of my side.

Legolas slowed as well, turning to look back at me.

"Go!" I shouted to him. "I will meet you at the end."

I saw his gaze go from my face to my back where the spikes around my spine grew into shiny, leather-like wings behind my back.

The elf turned, running with the rest of the hobbits towards the bridge.

I faced my gaze on the Orcs high in the walls. Getting a running start, I leapt off of the edge of the stairs, wings catching me to rise high in the chamber.

The Orcs seemed to miss me at first as I headed at the head on. The first few I grabbed by hand, pulling them from their perches and dropping them into the abyss that waited below. Another attempted to flee back into the mines, only for my talons to slide into his neck, separating his bones.

He had a companion who managed to stab me in the leg before I twisted the limb, catching him under my toes, I used a portion of my strength to crush his ribcage.

I felt the heat of Balrog fire growing.

' _You've still got to make it to the end.'_ I thought to myself, taking off from the crevice in the wall, flying towards the Bridge.

Halfway to the bridge, I felt an arrow pierce my wing. I let out a yell, one too slight for the rest of the fellowship to hear. I faltered in midair, sinking slightly before regaining balance and continuing.

Nearly to the end of all the stairs, I caught sight of the others.

Corridors connecting to the bridge were already cut off by fire. Preparing for a less than ideal landing on the far side of this wall of fire, I took a last breathe before it would all be ash and smoke.

I heard a whistle through the air, the sound reaching my ears at the same moment as another Orc arrow went through another wing, this one getting more than sliced veins as it went through the thin membrane of my wing and landing just below the nape, in the muscle of my shoulder, barely missing the bone of my wing.

I made my best attempt to stay out of the fire, failing on the final stretch from air to ground. The arrow in muscle keeping me from a proper landing as I dropped, tumbling through fire as I rolled across the stone ground. The arrow shaft broke off as I rolled, leaving the tip in my muscle. I screamed as the fire licked across my form.

I felt hands grab me, pulling me to my feet. Once the ground was under my boots where it belonged, I retracted my broken and damaged wings to the best of my abilities, reaching out to grab the hand that had picked me up.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" I heard Gandalf shout.

Out of the fire, the Balrog reared its head, fire in its maw and great horns on its head larger than wither of the men in our company.

Once we got to the bridge, we rushed its narrow surface single file, getting to the other side.

Gandalf stopped in the middle of the bridge.

We all turned to see what kept him.

The wizard squared off with the monster.  
I moved to join him only to have the hand I'd been holding, tighten on mine. Looking up, I saw the elf giving me a stubborn commanding look.

"You are not dying here." He stated to me, refusing to let go of my hand.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf shouted at the Balrog.

The creature erupted fully in flames, spreading bat-like wings he stood before the wizard, larger than dragons.

"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor." I heard Gandalf proclaim. "The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!" The wizard lifted his staff high above his head, channeling his magic as the crystal in the staff began to glow brighter, brighter than the sun it seemed.

The Balrog produced a sword of fire, bringing it down against the Grey's staff.

The wizard still stood, holding his ground. The Balrog growled at him, a feat which left the wizard unimpressed. "Go back to the Shadow." He wizard ordered.

The Balrog stepped forward, causing the bridge to crack as he wielded a whip of fire before its enemy.

"You shall not pass!" The wizard commanded, raising his weapons together. He brought his staff down, a bright light flashing as it made contact with the bridge.

The demon rushed forward onto the bridge, preparing to attack.

The stone cracked beneath him, half of the bridge breaking under the force of his one step, causing he demon to fall, far downward to the depths of Earth.

Gandalf relaxed the tiniest bit, turning to rejoin the rest of us.

The Balrog seemed to crack his whip one last bit, enough for the flames to wrap around the wizard's leg, pulling him over the edge.

The wizard dropped his sword and staff, sliding over the side, managing to catch himself.

Frodo rushed to help his friend, only for Boromir to grab him. "Gandalf!"

The wizard reached up, digging his hands into a crack higher upon the bridge. Then I saw the look on his face, a look that spoke of an acceptance of his fate.

Legolas read his face as clearly as I had. Jerking me around, he put my body before his and managed to force me up the stairs and away from the bridge. Grabbing the hobbits, he pulled them along as well.

Gimli followed his lead, assisting to lead the hobbits away from the scene.

He seemed to speak directly to his favorite hobbit. "Fly, you fools." And he let go, falling to his doom with his defeated opponent.

It seemed to take forever for the hobbit to process, before he alone shouted, "NO!"

Boromir picked up the hobbit, carrying him away, out of the mines. "Aragorn," the man shouted behind him.

The man peeled his attention off of the fallen wizard as arrows were once again loosed upon the Fellowship from Orc archers.


	10. Chapter 10

Legolas POV

The dwarf and I ensured that the three hobbits we had lead away made it out of the doors before us. We were closely followed by the men and Ring-Bearer.

Past the dwarf doors, we continued across the Cliffside until our company seemed to lose momentum. Our company seemed to collapse underneath the weight of despair and sadness following the loss of our friend and leader.

Boromir held the dwarf from rushing back into the mines for revenge, both on the wizard as well as upon his brethren. A task not lessened by the man's own emotions of painful anger and a desire to fight for his comrades.

A few of the hobbits shed tears, finding comfort in the action.

I felt my own sadness rise up, having spent generation upon generation calling the wizard 'friend'.

I looked over to see the Ranger wipe down his sword. His own face displaying no such emotions.

Looking over at Rebekah, I saw her struggling to remove her recently acquired axe from her back. Going over, I took hold of the axe handle, enabling her to slide from underneath it.

Free of the weight of the axe, she leaned over, griping a rip in her pants to tear it open even further, revealing a stab wound.

There was still blood flowing freely from it. I had seen her wings bleeding when she had landed in the fire, and there was dried blood on her back from retraction. As well as an arrow wound on her side, which she brushed her fingers over while I moved around to her front.

Lowering myself to her level, I ran a finger underneath her chin. Her left eye shone ruby red as she looked at me, while her right was red, but with a glaze over the entire eye, the side of her face with the damaged eye was burnt, from the bottom of her jaw up to her forehead. Her neck and shoulder had marks as did her hands and arms. I was sure if she were to remove her clothing, there would be more marks underneath them.

"Legolas," Aragorn shouted behind me, "get them up."

As I removed my fingers from Bek, her burns seemed to lighten, her damaged eye becoming just a bright as the other as, before my elvish eyes, she healed.

Not looking away from my eyes, hers faded from red to a rather neutral shade of green. She reached out an arm to grab her axe, only to flinch, her face contorting in pain.

Turning, I moved through the company towards the man.

"Give them a second," Boromir demanded, "for pity's sake."

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs." Aragorn informed him, gesturing to just how much hill there really was surrounding us.

Boromir's face showed he had not considered before he spoke.

Aragorn sheathed his sword. "We must reach the woods of Lothlorien." He decided. "Come, Boromir. Legolas, Gimli, get them up. Bek, let us go."

I reached over, helping Merry and Pippin to their feet as Aragorn began to walk in the direction of Lothlorien.

"On your feet, Sam." Aragorn said gently. He looked around for the Ring-Bearer. "Frodo?"

The Ring-Bearer had already begun to wander of in a random direction, turning when he heard his name, back-tracking to rejoin us.

Once we had started on our way, I glanced back at Bek, she had chosen to forgo getting the axe back upon her shoulders, simply holding it in her hand while we marched.

With Aragorn in the lead, crossing the last of the hills beyond the mountain range, as well as valleys and rivers, we made it into the woods hours before dark.

I felt the elvish muscles in my body relax as I found myself once again within the borders of my own people.

While we remained careful, fearing we should find enemies, even within the enchanted forests.

Rebekah gravitated towards the middle of the Fellowship, unwilling to fully participate in a fight, considering her wounded state. She had managed to stop one of the hobbits and reclaim her black cloak, the hood of which she settled over her head, covering the majority of her face and there-in her burns.

"Shh! Stay close, young Hobbits." The dwarf mumbled to the little ones. "They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods."

I rolled my eyes at the Dwarvish bedtime story.

"An Elf-witch," The dwarf continued, "of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell and are never seen again."

The Ring-Bearer stopped suddenly, looking confused and somewhat frightened.

"Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked him.

The Ring-Bearer seemed to look around for a moment before continuing to follow the rest.

"Well, here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily." Gimli proclaimed. "I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox."

I looked up, drawing my bow as I found myself face to face with elvish guard. I could tell by the way the dwarf quieted he was in a similar situation.

The hobbits gasped as they too, were met with arrows.

Bek dropped her axe onto the ground with a 'thud'.

Aragorn looked around as he was surrounded. He lifted both hands in surrender.

"The dwarf breathes so loud," One member of the guard began, "we could have shot him in the dark."

Gimli growled in offense.

I recognized the elf speaking, and from the sigh Bek gave, I knew she did as well.

He glanced around Aragorn at the sound of a relieved sigh, his eyes settling on Rebekah curiously before turning to me. Gesturing with his arm, the members under his lead lowered their arms. "Take them to the city." He commanded in elvish.

As we passed, he reached out and took Bek by her arm, assessing her as she stood before him.

I stopped once his hand touched her.

Checking that the fellowship had moved further into the woods, Rebekah used her free hand to pull her hood off of her head, grimacing as her shoulder muscles tensed around the arrowhead.

Looking from her burned face, to me, and back before he abruptly let her go, leaving the two of us in our places.

I helped her get her hood back up as he moved to the front of our procession.


	11. Chapter 11

"Welcome, Legolas, son of Thranduil." He greeted in elvish, once we got to their guard post. Speaking to me for the first time since our capture.

"Our Fellowship stands in your debt." I responded, respectfully.

He glanced over the others in the company. "Ah, Aragorn, of the Dunedain," He settled on the Ranger, "you are known to us." He gave a respectful, acknowledging wave of his hand and tilt of his head.

Aragorn returned the gesture, nearly as gracefully, something from his years of practice.

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves!" Gimli cut in. "Speak words we can all understand."

The Guardsman turned to the dwarf, his face locking in an emotionless, battle-hard expression. "We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days."

"And you know what this Dwarf says to that?" The dwarf began before slipping into his own native tongue, saying words I faintly understood.

Aragorn turned on him, setting a hand on his chest. "That was not so courteous." He snapped, angrily.

The leader had watched Aragorn correct the dwarf, and now moved around the man to the Hobbits. His eyes settled on Frodo. "You bring great evil with you." He turned and moved to the head of the company. "You can go no further."

The other hobbits turned to look at Frodo.

Rebekah moved around me, making it her turn to grab onto this elf. "Haldir." She said quietly.

"Rebekah. You of all here, know our laws." He answered her in a language that was not elvish.

"And coming to you was not within my considerations. But it was not left to me, what we would do."

"So you chose to let your companions come before us, knowing the alternative?" He let as a question, before taking her opportunity to answer. "What a foolish notion that it could work as such."

She flashed her eyes from their green to ruby red before him.

One of the guards on the side pulled a knife, setting it at the back of her neck.

In return, I pulled my own dagger, holding it out between Bek and the guard.

Bek and Haldir didn't flinch or tense. She simply looked at him, plainly and calmly.

He looked from his companion to me, then at Bek before waving off his own guard.

As the threat stepped down, so did I.

"Perhaps this is a conversation better had away from your men?" She offered.

He nodded. Turning and moving up a level to a section with less guards.

Bek gestured for Aragorn and I to follow, before going up herself.

"Rebekah," He began, carefully. "None of your standing holds sway here. We have no reason to change our ways and policies to accommodate your quest."

"I am not asking to be accommodated, I am simply asking that you hold the views held by Lord Elrond and not turn us away because of a trinket that belongs to a man long since fallen."

"Of all the elves here, who may believe what you have said, you forget how long we have truly been companions." Haldir said, dropping from her native tongue into his own.

I saw her eyes fade back to green, taking his necessity to finalize the statement in his own language, as a rejection of her concerns.

As she stepped down, Aragorn took up the argument with the Guardsman.

Rebekah turned from him, going to the edge of the room and facing down towards the Fellowship.

"Gandalf's death was not in vain," Boromir spoke up, looking at the Ring-Bearer, "nor would he have you give up hope. You carry a heavy burden, Frodo. Don't carry the weight of the dead."

The hobbit mulled thoughtfully over the words.

Haldir and Aragorn's conversation broke off. The guard coming to look at the Fellowship. "You will follow me."

Aragorn went back to the group while Haldir gathered the one or two things necessary for the journey. "Rebekah," He called.

She turned, going over to where he stood next to a table. "Allow me to repair your shoulder."

"Why?" She asked, skeptically, removing her cloak.

"You perceive that I am you enemy." He picked up a dagger. "This is not the case, nor will it ever be."

She unbuttoned her top, letting it slack away from her shoulders, revealing the bloody hole, still housing the Orc arrow.

I watched as he hooked a hand in her hair, pulling it over the unwounded shoulder, allowing him to see as he slid the dagger in underneath the arrow.

Tilting the dagger up, he caught the roughness of the arrow, pressing his hand onto her skin so as to not get the remainder of the shaft stuck in her flesh. Once there was enough of the end pointing out, he withdrew the dagger. Grabbing the end of the shaft in his fingers, he pulled the arrowhead from her skin, dropping it onto the table.

"Why does this elf care so much for you?" He asked curiously in her tongue, assuming I would not understand.

"It would be nothing, had you not left for this city instead of remaining with my own guard." She said, glancing from me to watch him.

He picked up a damp towel. "You should get the burned flesh off, before anyone in your company sees." He handed it to her. "I left your company to serve my Lady. The one I am sworn to die for. Keeping you safe is not how I chose to dedicate my life."

"It's a shame really," She said as she cleaned the burnt skin off of her face to reveal clear, unharmed, new skin. "You would have been greatly appreciated for your efforts."

He stepped closer to her, whispering. "I've had your type of 'appreciation', Rebekah. You would have gotten bored long before I did," He set his fingers underneath her chin, tilting her face up as he whispered against her lips. "Forgive me, but that is a fate I care not to live with, Highness."

Raising her face, she gaze directly into his blue eyes with her ruby red ones. Speaking so closely that their lips nearly brushed. "Bored, Haldir? So long as it was appreciation, I would never have grown bored of you."

"So long as it was out of appreciation, and never out of love, you're affection would have waned." He stepped back, abruptly ending their altercation. "Besides, with me teaching you, you'd have run out of reasons to be appreciative of my protection." He chuckled, exiting the room.

She tossed the now dirty rag on the table, pulling her hood back up.

I watched her as she exited the room, but she did not dare set her eyes upon me.


	12. Chapter 12

The Guardsman took the fellowship, as well as a handful of his own soldiers, and led us from the main Guard-post.

Leaving that night, by morning we were upon our destination.

"Caras Galadhon." He introduced. "The heart of Elvendom on Earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."

The place he described was a hilltop of stairs and pathways, intricate twists and turns leading up to a royal foothold. An elvish castle within their city where only the Lord, Lady and their relevant friends and council were to call home.

He led us forward, upstairs that had been built around a tree, as the entirety of this place seemed to have been.

The antechamber was bright, blue light which cast an intentional and delicate glow across all things that entered it.

Two elves, carrying themselves like royalty, entered the room after the Fellowship had.

Aragorn lowered his head, touching his forehead with fingertips in a show of incredible respect as the elves descended from a royal podium.

Pure, bright light seemed to kindle from the female elf. An effect that slipped away once she was before the Company.

"The enemy knows you have entered here." Informed the man, taking a tone that made it clear we were unwelcome. "What hope you had in secrecy is now gone. Nine there are here, yet ten there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar."

"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land." Informed the she-elf. Her voice as light and soft as the lighting of her dwelling. "He has fallen into Shadow."

Her companion looked at her once she was done.

Her gaze fell to me, leaving me with the feeling I should explain.

"He was taken by both Shadow and Flame." I informed. "A Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria."

Gimli lowered his head, feeling partially responsible.

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life." The Lady said in forgiveness. "We do not yet know his full purpose. Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dum fill your heart, Gimli, son of Gloin, for the world has grown full of peril, and in all lands, love is not mingled with grief."

Her gaze turned to Boromir and under it, he began to sweat, weeping as he turned from her.

"What now becomes of this Fellowship?" Asked the Lord. "Without Gandalf, hope is lost."

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife." The Lady proclaimed. "Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains, while the Company is true. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you will sleep in peace."


	13. Chapter 13

The lot of us were shown to rooms. The hobbits all rooming together, the men with the dwarf. Rebekah was given her own room as she was the female, and I my own out of respect.

One the way to my room, I already knew which chamber I was to be housed in, for it was the same one I had been given over a hundred years ago upon my last venture into Lothlorian.

Moving around the desk, I pulled the seat away, feeling around the wooden frame for the scratch marks from my last visit. I chuckled when I found them, feeling assured that no one in all these years had found the evidence.

Sitting in the desk chair, I allowed myself to remember why there were scratch marks in the desk in the first place.

 _I looked up from my desk, seeing Rebekah close the door to my chambers. "Forgive me, I did not hear you knock." I said quietly, having been oblivious._

 _"_ _That is unnecessary, rather it is I who should apologize, I did not knock."_

 _"_ _Is that traditionally a custom amongst your people, not to knock?" She did not respond and I felt horror rise within myself. "Now you must take my apology seriously, My Lady. I forget your people are few and far between." I set down the book in my hands, giving her my full attention. "Please, come in."_

 _She looked down, toying with her fingernails as she moved further into the room._

 _"_ _Is something bothering you, Princess?" I asked, watching her feet carefully approach my desk._

 _She chuckled without amusement. "I care not for being called Princess, Your Highness."_

 _"_ _But you are a Princess, rather a Queen, just as honestly as I am a Prince."_

 _"_ _All due respect, Prince Legolas, I would simply rather not be referred as such." She mumbled, keeping her eyes on her fingers._

 _"_ _Come here." I pushed my chair from the desk. As she came up to the side of my desk, I stood, going over to separate her relentless fingers from each other. "Why do you seem so nervous?"_

 _"_ _I am, nervous, your highness."_

 _"_ _We are not within the realm of my kingdom, Rebekah." I used her name, not her title for the first time. "You need not call me Highness, as I need not call you by a title."_

 _She nodded._

 _"_ _Why are you nervous?" I asked again._

 _"_ _It is not often, I find myself in chambers of those other than myself."_

 _"_ _Then how is it you come to find yourself in mine?" I finally realized the time, glancing out the window into darkness, then down at the girl in front of me._

 _"_ _It would seem, My Lord that we had placed a bet, during our quest. And I lost that bet."_

 _"_ _Oh?" I had forgotten about the bet, and especially forgotten the reward._

 _"_ _The bet was that should I have won, I would be allowed a favor of you."_

 _I nodded, skeptical as she shyly found the words._

 _"_ _I assumed that you, as the winner of this bet, you would like to be awarded your prize."_

 _"_ _I find myself at a loss for what exactly the agreed upon prize was."_

 _"_ _I don't believe I ever mentioned, My Lord."_

 _"_ _And I suppose you have decided on an appropriate prize for me?" I asked her, sitting back down in my chair._

 _She nodded, looking back down at her fingers. "I chose based on the prize I desired you too give me."_

 _"_ _And what was that?"_

 _"_ _A night of your time." She answered simply._

 _I chuckled. "So my prize is a night of your time, Princess?"_

 _She flinched at her title, nodding. "Yes, Highness."_

 _It was rather simple. "If you would have liked my company, Princess, this trick was unnecessary. I would have granted you the time, had you asked."_

 _A nervous smile cut across her face. "It was not as simple as that." She whispered, almost too light for me to catch._

 _She moved around the desk, placing herself on the same side as myself. She kneeled down in the distance between my chair and the desk. She set her hands on her knees, finally looking at me._

 _Looking down at her, my gaze was attracted beyond her face. Her cloak was lower than I had originally noticed, and now looking down at it, I saw nothing underneath it._

 _"_ _Rebekah." I warned, understanding at last._

 _"_ _I understand what I am asking, My Lord." She said, setting her hand on my leg. "But we did it before, and all I've wanted since is to do it again."_

 _He got up, moving to put distance between the both of us. "Rebekah. You're asking me …"_

 _"_ _I am asking you to have me." She whispered, standing up to look at me. "That is all I am asking."_

 _"_ _This is not a proper thing to ask of me, Your Highness."_

 _She turned, looking at my desk. "I am not asking because it is the proper thing, My Lord. I ask because you are the only thing I have wanted since last time."_

 _I looked at her, her dark hair curling down the silver cloak. Memory of how her breast looked as she knelt in front of me took my mind. I could be the proper prince and pretend this girl had never asked me such a question, continue to act as though we had never done what we did that night, or I could take this girl whose beauty had been a waking dream since the day we met._

 _Going over towards her, I turned her to face me. Her eyes were not their traditional green. The colors of leaf and feather were gone from her face now, replaced by a red so bright and clear, rubies would have crumbled jealously._

 _My intention had been to tell her no, as hard as I found the prospect. But as I looked at her face, at the jewels that jumped out of her eyes all of the things that had happened in the hills came rushing forward. I was faced with the memories of the sounds I knew I could make fall from her lips. The way her skin felt underneath my hands, against my own. The ways I knew she would move with just the right amount of force._

 _Sliding my fingers up her body, I took her face in both of my hands, bringing her lips to meet mine. She stumbled, leaning against the desk, giving me an opportunity to press into her._

 _Her fingers followed up my shoulders, hooking in the collar of my tunic to pull at it. The top few laces gave, revealing more skin to her but not all. She settled for wrapping her hands around my shoulders._

 _Wrapping my arms around her waist, I lifted her up, setting her upon the desk. Reaching over my head, I grabbed my top by handfuls, pulling it up over my head, tossing it to the side._

 _She ran her hands down my chest._

 _I glanced down, seeing her fingernails had grown out to red talons, which she seemed careful to keep from dragging down my skin._

 _She tugged at my pants, unlacing them on her own this time. Once they were fairly loose, she looked back up at me._

 _Leaning down I kissed her again, one deep kiss. Her talons dug into the back of my neck, and I grimaced as I felt sharp pain and blood begin to flow down my back. I grabbed her arm, jerking it from my shoulders, but not stopping._

 _A fearful look spread over her face, as though she was concern what my next reaction was. Her red eyes faltered, dots of green reappearing._

 _When I didn't threaten, or leave her sitting there, the dots of green disappeared. She seemed almost amused._

 _Hooking her legs loosely upon my own, she pulled me closer, laying back on the desk. Her cloak fell open as she did this, showing all of her skin. Her fingers latched onto the desk, I could hear the faint scratching of her nails digging into the wood, rather than my skin._

 _Her legs on mine had managed to lower my pants off of my waist more than enough. She tugged me closer—_

There was a rather loud knock on my door, dragging me out of my memories. Going over to it, I saw Aragorn standing there.

"We were going to work on the plan, for when we take our leave of here." The man explained.

I nodded, inviting him inside.


	14. Chapter 14

Rebekah's POV

We were all shown to rooms. I had scarcely managed to remove my cloak when there was a knock on my door.

Opening it, I stood aside to allow my guest to enter. "My Lord Celeborn." I greeted. "Haldir."

"Queen Rebekah." The Lord responded in turn. "I find myself perplexed, Highness."

Haldir remained silent, clearly only here for formality or protection.

I considered arguing the references to nobility only to reason it was not necessary as he was just as aware of our situation as I was. "Might I ask why, My Lord?"

"I wonder why you have chosen to join this Fellowship." He voiced. "The handling of this ring has no control over your fate. Should Sauron get his hands on it, you will live. Should the ring truly get destroyed, you will live. Why take the time to assist in such a quest?"

"Forgive me, Celeborn, but the rise of Sauron does have its effect on me and it is an effect I would rather never have to live."

"My concern, had I been placed in your position, would be that the rise of Sauron, meant the rise of something much greater. You say the Balrog took out the Grey Wizard, Would it be possible that the return of Sauron, could mean the rise of his predecessor?"

I paused, mulling over what he was asking me. "The success of this quest, will mean never having to know the answer to that question, Celeborn. Therefore, I will do everything within my power to ensure that we never find out if the rise of one, means the rise of the other."

"That is not an answer."

"No, My Lord, it is not. An answer is conditional of my knowledge of how these things will turn out. I am incapable of such insight."

He looked at me. "I had hoped coming to see you would quench this thirst for answers, but I see it has not. I apologize for taking this time away from your rest, Highness." With that, the Lord of Lothlorien took his leave.

I opened the door for him, avoiding eye contact as he left.

Haldir stopped at the door, closing it behind his Lord.

I looked at him curiously.

"I saw you earlier, at the guard-post." He informed me. "Your blatant avoidance of the Prince after our altercation."

"What of it?" I snapped. "It is far from his business what I've been involved with in the past. It is neither your business who I do or don't look at in passing."

"Defensive." He mumbled, coming closer to me. "I've only ever seen you get this way once or twice." He stepped upon me, putting this elvish fingertips to the wall on either side of my head. "I find it very attractive." He whispered.

"Haldir." I whispered back. "What are you doing?"

"Testing your theory that you will not get bored." His breathe fell over my neck.

"This has more to do with that." I hissed. "You have refused me within elvish wall before. Why now?"

"I haven't seen you in nearly a hundred years, Bek. I have missed you." His lips fell onto mine, conforming together as he pressed into me.

I shoved him back so hard he stumbled against the table in my room. "Why?" I demanded.

There was amusement in his eyes. A dark twinkle I hadn't seen since our affair together so very long ago. A part of him I thought he had shed when he left me to rejoin elvish society. "Because you cut into him." He hissed, leaning against the desk.

"What?"

"I saw him when the healers checked over the rest of your company. You were careful, I could tell. But the talon marks at the top of his spine… To someone who knows you, they were unmistakable."

"So, what? You're going to run and tell Celeborn and Galadrial, punish me for harming the Prince?"

"No. Not even. The way he was willing to harm one of his own kind in defense of you? He had to have taken his pain as willingly as you gave it. If not, you two would have killed one another already. When did it start?" He asked getting up. "How long after I left did you decide to destroy Thranduil's precious son?"

"I didn't. He took me at first. Funny elves don't seem to understand how great my people are until they choose to fall into bed with us."

He chuckled, making for the door. Passing me, he grabbed my chin, that dark look still in his eyes. "You should give yourself more credit, Princess." He whispered so close to my ear that I could feel his lips. "The bed was never our battleground." Pushing my face away from his. "You should get all of the dwarf-city off of you. It is very unbecoming."

Grabbing my things, I headed off to bathe the leftovers of Moria and blood from my skin.


	15. Chapter 15

Legolas' POV

Once Aragorn had informed me of his plans to complete our quest, he took his leave. After he left, I gathered my things, leaving my room to the waterfalls where I knew there would be no one, and therefore I could wash myself of the dirt and grime from the journey.

I was correct in my assumption that there would be few others, but I soon found myself looking upon a member of my company, standing bare underneath the falls.

Rebekah was alone in the center of the pool.

She seemed to feel as though she would be alone as well. She had shifted into her true form, a sight I had not seen in centuries.

Her wings were raised high above her, the water rinsing down the dust of Moria. Her hair had shifted from black to red as roses, falling nearly to her knees. Her talons picked at her hair, separating it so that the dirt was washed from all of the strands. Patches of her skin were covered by red scales, coming down the back of her neck, covering her breast, spanning down her torso and down below her waist.

I stepped closer, going over to the edge of the pool.

Rebekah failed to notice, until I began to take off my clothing.

She looked up as my tunic settle on the ground. "Legolas."

I looked up at her. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

I chuckled, "I was going to bathe, is that alright with you, Princess?"

Her skin on her face was red, scaling around her eyes and cheeks. None of her scales or even her wings, shone as brightly as her eyes.

She didn't answer me, simply turning back to the water, retracting her wings.

"You don't have you do that." I said, watching her hair get darker.

"It would be rather inappropriate for me not to." She responded, lowering herself into the deep part of the pool, keeping her body from my sight.

The pool was mostly shallow, allowing for waist level coverage. The other section was designed to come up to elvish shoulders and incline deeper so as to allow for swimming. There was a pedestal in the center, from which the falls deposited onto then ran down into the other sides.

I avoided the platform in the center, going from the shallow side to the deep side.

I was within a foot of Rebekah when she managed to get out of the water, standing on the bank and pulling her cloak around her.

"Rebekah," I called, not turning around. "I would like to talk to you. I'm staying in the same room."


	16. Chapter 16

Legolas' POV

The Princess was in my room, waiting for me when I got back.

She had settled at the desk with the book from the Mines.

"Learn anything?" I asked her.

She sighed, closing the book. "It includes a telling from the destruction of Smaug, a retelling of the journey."

"That must be riveting."

"Mildly." She brushed off. "What did you want to speak to me about?"

I thought for a moment, trying to come up with a decent reason for why I had summoned her. "Why would you consider it 'inappropriate' for me to look at your true form?" I finally asked, curious.

"Because we are comrades, nothing more." She responded, keeping her eyes on the book.

"Though I have seen it before?"

"You have seen many things before, Prince Greenleaf. That does not entitle you to see them again upon request."

I began to ready my bed for the night. "I do have a question, if you would permit me?"

I saw her nod out of the corner of my eye.

"What was it you were doing when you were summoned to the council?"

"I was not summoned to the council. I felt the ring casting energy, and merely sought its location. I had decided to reside closer to the ring should anything become of its discovery, then I got news of the council in Rivendell."

"It was odd, seeing you within the politics of the world."

"Many seemed to agree with you."

"The race of Man will always be hard-pressed to respect a woman in their politics." I soothed.

"I have been to the realms of Men more than you, Legolas. I am more understanding of this than most."

I paused, "Why do you choose not to reside within the Realms of Elves? We of all seem to understand your position and lifespan."

"Because the only Elven Realm I could comfortably reside in, would be Mirkwood. And I am not welcome within its borders."

"Why not?" I sat down on the bed, preparing for the story.

"Because, when everything fell, it was the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain who took me in, when my people were lost. Your father was distraught over the loss of his own kind, and incapable of caring whether I survived or not. I was far too young to choose my own side, but that did not stop Sauron's enemies from choosing to shun me rather than help me. Slowly that changed. Elrond and Isildur were among the first to trust me once recovery upon Middle Earth began."

"How old were you in the first war? You never said."

"To my people, I was a girl. To Elves, I was young, but not enough to explain away some of the things I had been accused of. Men and Dwarves, I was old enough to have understood the actions around me and have retaliated."

"Whose side were you on?"

"I wish not for this storytelling. To answer, I was a few hundred years old. Without a history of my people, the exact year of my birth is long lost."

"Shall we return to your desire to hide your true form?"

She glared at me, red speckling into her eyes. "Why do you care?"

I leaned back on the bed. "Perhaps it is because there is no sight in Middle Earth as glorious as you in your true form?" I offered.

"You are the only one within all of the Realms who holds such sentiment."

"It is the truth. I often dream of the greatness that is you, winged and scaled."

"Is that the only way you dream me?"

I chuckled. "I seem to have found dream of you, rather common since we last separated."

Her face became amused. "And here I thought elves were the least sentimental of all races."

"Shall I apologize, for having feelings?"

"Not at all, I find myself forgetting that elves are capable."

"You forgetting something?"

She chuckled. "You said the same when we were breaching Moria. You seem adamant to deny that I forget."

"Then tell me, princess, what are the type of things you forget?"

She hesitated, her face thoughtful as she contemplated what to say. "I forget my father's voice. I forget how much getting stabbed hurts. I forget how the race of man pains me with their existence, until I am among them."

"Do you ever find yourself forgetting things having to do with me?"

"I find myself wishing that I could forget a number of things about you." She admitted.

"Care to share?"

She gave a dark sort of laugh that was not amused in the slightest. "I wish that I could forget what happened last time we were in this room together."

I leaned back onto the bed. "Why is that?"

"Because, ever since, I cannot get it out of my memories. Every time I come back here, I am reminded of what we did. Every so often, I find myself dreaming about it as though it were happening again."

"Am I to assume that is such a bad thing?" I asked her, "Do you avoid the caverns and lakes as well?"

"It makes it rather hard to move on to another," She responded, "when I find myself unable to move forward from one in particular."

"Then why do you insist on moving forward?" I asked.

"Because this – what we did – will never be more than it was then. Because there is no future for us beyond what we do in the night."

"Why do you think that?"

"Stop with the questions, Legolas!" She shouted, standing up. "I am an outcast and the last of my kind, and you are a prince of elves."

"And eventually I will be the king of my people."

"And I would never be more than the rare flower that shared your bed once you had produced an heir with your wife."

"You confuse me for the prince of Man." I argued. "I am an elf, and that is not a game that we play."

"Whether it is or isn't, I am not welcome among the people of Mirkwood. Making me a part of your life will not change how they feel."

"So, we are never to be any more than what we were last time? Comrades who find dark corners and abandoned ruins to be together and pretend that our companions have no idea what we are doing together in the moonlight?!"

"We were never supposed to be that." She got up from the desk. "We should never have been together then, as we should not be together now."

"'Should'? 'Should' has never been a refusal from you, Princess. Only an acknowledgement that what you are doing is against your best interest."

"Coming here was already quite far from my best interest."

"Then perhaps you should continue to defy your interests."

She paced before me as I lay on the bed. "Elves are supposed to be the logical race."

"From where I sit, the most logical thing we could possibly do, is the same thing last time we fought together."

"Why?"

"Because I am more inclined to fight next to a woman with an investment in my survival."

"And what would that investment be?"

"That you know just how much I—." I was cut off as she moved forward, pressing her talons against my cheek.

I'd watched these same claws tear into Orcs and monsters more times in battle than I cared to recall, and even now as she threatened me, there was a limpness to her fingers. Her desire for my silence did not translate into a desire to hurt me.

Her eyes were already fading from green to red, turning bright and sparkling in the lights as she scanned my face.

Meeting her eyes, I held her gaze. Her talons remained on my face while I reached between the two of us and began undoing the ties that bound her robes to her body.

Nails drug my chin as her hand dropped from my face onto my chest. Then she was climbing on top of me as I lay on the bed. Once she was straddling my waist, she leaned forward, kissing me.

On her lips, I felt an emotion neither of us would say aloud, despite how true it was.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, I rolled us over onto the bed.

She had come to my room almost directly after my invitation, leaving her only in the robes.

She made short work of the traditional elvish robes I'd been given. Her talons punctured the fabric before there was the sound of ripping and tearing as she peeled the fabric from my torso.

There was a stinging on my skin as she grazed my shoulders with her talons, opening small scratches.

Releasing my now shredded clothing onto the bed, she wrapped an arm around my shoulders, entangling her fingers in my hair. Her other hand tugged at the laces of my trousers.

Setting my hand on her thigh, I guided her to hook her leg around my hips. Setting my other arm around her waist, I lifted her up to move higher up the bed.

With my pants now loose, she gave them a quick jerk, pulling them down from my hips.

Dropping her so that her head was laying on the pillows, I let go of the hand on her thigh and pulled her close to me, pressing her body against mine as I met her lips with my own.

Half-hazardly hooking her legs around mine, she shifted and rolled her hips. The motion succeeded in joining the two of us.

I groaned as I slipped inside of her. My arm still wrapped around her waist, I pulled her against me as her talons dug into me.

Looking down at her face, her eyes were rubies and her face had begun to scale as she lost her focus on remaining in disguise.

I relished in her warmth for a few moments, then, having forgotten our arguments against this very action, I moved inside of her.

Her back arched up to meet my thrust and her head fell back.

Red hair pooled upon my pillows as, from a scale-covered throat, she let out a gasp. I repeated the motion and a moan filled the room around us.

Her legs wrapped around me as she met my every thrust. I leaned down and ran my lips across her chest, my tongue darting out to run across her scales.


	17. Chapter 17

Rebekah's POV

I wanted him to stop talking. I wanted the longing and aching for him inside of me to be gone.

I pressed my lips to his and no longer remembered that we were arguing. Straddling his waist, I forgot our quest.

He rolled me over, leaning over the top of me as I tore the clothing from his body.

I pulled his pants lower, and felt him pressing against me. Rolling my hips, I felt him slip inside of me. I gasped as he pushed into me.

He groaned and I saw the reflection of my red flesh in his eyes.

He pulled back before pushing back into me. I moaned as he moved.

I dug my nails into his back, trying to pull him closer to me despite his skin pressing into mine as he continued to thrust into me.

I rose my hips up to meet his, my fingers tangling into his hair as he leaned down to brush his lips across my chest, his tongue running along my scales.

My fingers went to his chin as I turned his face and met his lips to mine. Setting my hand on his arm, I hooked my legs to his thighs and flipped us over so that I was back on top.

Legolas' hands settled on my thighs, gripping my flesh as I moved my hips back and forth on him.

Giving into my body, pleasure spread through me. The remainder of my skin lost its illusion, scales traveled my breasts, showing up along my rips and legs. My back peeled as my wings grew outward.

I watched the elf's blue eyes go from my face, to my red wings spread behind me, and back to my face as his grip tightened on me.

I felt him get harder inside of me. Quickening my hips, I rode him until I felt his fingers dig further into my thighs. His hips rose to meet me as I came down and I pressed my talons into his side as I felt him cum inside of me.

Feeling him cum was the last bit of pleasure I could take as I felt myself tightening around him.

I looked down at him, hair tangled and in a mess against the pillows as he caught his breath.

I retracted my wings and once again disguised my skin to look fair and normal. I dropped onto the bed beside him.

He attempted to turn to me and winced, looking down at his side.

Following his gaze, I noticed the blood dripping down his body from my clawing. Running a hand down the marks, I drew on my magic and healed his wounds, clearing the blood before it could stain the sheets.

"Are you going to continue arguing with me through this journey?" The elf asked, speaking his native tongue.

"Are you going to desire my company along the way?"

"I've always desired your company, Rebekah. It remains suppressed by both of our duties as ruling members of our people."

"Last time we were in this room together, I argued my way into your bed. Tonight it was upon your insistence. I say we are doing a terrible job at suppressing out desires."

"We've both made the greatest mistake we could, regarding one another."

"And we've spent hundreds of years hiding it from the world."

He shifted our positions then, settling up higher on the bed as he drew me to lay curled up against his side. "I don't regret what we have done. I do not think I ever could."

"Neither do I. Though that does not chance the judgement we face should others find out."

"Do you believe Gandalf knew?"

"Gandalf has never been surprised by my actions. Whether he knew what we've done? Who can say?"

"We continue this, others in the fellowship will figure this out."

I shifted my head in a nod that kept my head on his chest. "Aragorn has traveled amongst more races that most Men. Given the chance, he will figure this out. The others will not see anything unless it is before their eyes."

"Then we will not consort before their eyes." He answered simply, as though that were the solution.

"We must be better guarded amongst Lothlorien." I warned. "Haldir has seen your scars and suspects."

"Haldir, the Captain of the Guard?" He thought for a moment. "Didn't he lead the company you were training under when –."

Nod.

"It was never discussed that his loyalty was to Galadriel."

"As it was rarely discussed that you were a prince. He and I did not discuss his loyalty to the Lady of light. When you happened to meet us, his loyalty was to me."

"What happened to change that?"

"I did not love him, nor did I respect his standing as more than a teacher and a guard. He had always maintained his duty to the elves and years later he returned to the Lord and Lady as he had always promised to do."

"Leaving you to what? Roam Middle Earth unattended?"

I chuckled. "I've never felt like I needed attending. Though I seldom find myself alone."

"Perhaps after this journey we may once again travel together, you and I."

I looked over at him. "Perhaps."

The next morning, the sun had barely peaked the trees as I slipped out of bed.

Gathering my clothing, I slipped them on as I glanced at the elf, still asleep.

I paused, admiring his peaceful look as he lay spread across the sheet. There as an obvious blank space in the bed where I had just gotten up, he seemed to curl into that space.

"You could stay." I heard from the bed.

Looking up, his eyes had barely opened, but he was watching me as I pulled on a robe. "What if they look for us?"

"If anyone comes to the door, I will answer them." He shifted to look at me more directly. "Come back to bed."

I sighed, glancing out the window at the sleeping Elf-city. Stripping the robe I'd just put on, I crawled back into bed next to the blonde elf.


	18. Chapter 18

Rebekah's POV

There was a knock on the door, causing me to groan and burrow deeper into the sheets. I felt the bed shift as he got up to answer.

He pulled on pants before opening the door. "Aragorn."

"We are preparing to leave, are you ready?"

I pulled the sheets back, watching the elf nod.

"And Rebekah?"

Legolas glanced over his shoulder, "I will ask her."

Aragorn nodded. "Both of you get dressed and meet us down in a few minutes. The Lady of Light wished to bid us farewell."

Legolas nodded, shutting the door as the man walked away.


End file.
